A series of events will be held across China next week to mark the upcoming China Space Day, the China National Space Administration said at a press briefing in Beijing on Friday.

The 11th China Space Day, themed "Seven Decades of Exploring the Sky, Jointly Reaching for the Stars", will center its main activities in Chengdu, Sichuan province.

Co-hosted by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the China National Space Administration and the Sichuan provincial government, the event will feature an opening ceremony, science outreach exhibitions and a space-themed cultural forum. Brazil has been invited as the guest country of honor.

At the opening ceremony on April 24, organizers will release updates on major space programs, including progress in deep-space exploration and research on lunar samples returned by the Chang'e 5 mission. Awards will also be presented to outstanding scientists, engineers and teams.

More than 30 provincial-level regions across the country will host public activities, including lectures, knowledge contests, open days and seminars.

China launched its first carrier rocket, Long March 1 — a modified ballistic missile — on April 24, 1970, sending its first satellite, Dongfanghong 1, into orbit. The mission made China the fifth country capable of independently developing and launching a rocket to reach Earth orbit.

Since 2016, China has marked Space Day annually on April 24.